Connected Mom

As a Technology Strategy Manager at TELUS, I’m essentially a technology explorer. My role has me exploring industry and technology trends that not only help TELUS team members in their everyday tasks, but also enhance our customer experience. Taking my passion for, and constant exposure to new technologies to heart, I sought to find a solution to help and monitor my mom’s health.

In 1999, my mom had her first heart attack and was given her first pace maker. While she was recuperating, my siblings and I constantly visited my mom to check in on her and make sure she was faring well. Still, we worried about her. To keep an eye on her from a distance, I installed cameras around the house. Unfortunately, they had the opposite effect: she felt as though she had lost her privacy.

As she had a number of additional challenges, including scoliosis, we weren’t comfortable leaving mom on her own. Looking for a compromise that would give us all peace of mind, I found a company that carried sensors that could be applied around the house and would tell me how long she was in the bath, which doors had been opened and whether she had gone to the fridge or medicine cabinet. With these in place, I recognized patterns in her behaviour. You see, we’re all creatures of habit until we’re sick. For example, she may have skipped her regular 6:00 a.m. coffee on days where her pain was more severe.

Recently, my mom’s scoliosis worsened which inspired me to take our monitoring to a new level. I knew that combining wearables and other connected solutions would give me a better picture of her daily patterns. I also wanted to connect with her caregivers to better inform them of her condition. Luckily, I was able to find a rheumatologist and general practitioner willing to evaluate the data these tools collected.

All together these devices have made a world of a difference to my mom’s overall health and well-being. I would even go as far as saying they may have saved her life. Since her doctors have access to quality data in real-time, they’ve been able to determine which procedures and surgeries would be risky to her health.

The power of the TELUS network goes far beyond simple connectivity. Keeping people connected is more than sending a text or reading the latest tweet; it’s the ability to stay connected to those you care about. My passion for innovation is what inspired me to use technology to solve a problem that touched me on a personal level and this same passion is what inspires the TELUS team to constantly innovate for our customers every day.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the devices my mom has been using to help with her overall health: